College Visits 101 Brought to you by may frisky

Why should I even visit a college?

You want to visit a college because you want to get a good feel for the college. A lot of the time, college webpages only show you the best parts of campus. However, you want to see the college from all perspectives!

When should I plan to go on a campus visit?

It's most wise to go on college visits during your junior year. During this time, good times to go are on the weekdays and possibly spring break, if the school is in session.

What are some things I should see when I go on my visit?

1. classrooms. Learning environment matters. no body wants to learn in a dark moldy classroom.

2. Residence Halls. You want to be able to see what you will be living in your first year. It is important to know what you feel comfortable with, whether it be a community bathroom or a private bathroom. Also, make sure to see off-campus housing too! You will be living in off-campus housing more than likely for 3 years undergrad.

3. The library. This part of campus is super important! It will show you what the college offers in terms of resources and extra help.

4. Sports or recreational facilities. This is also an important thing to see! You want to be able to see what types of recreational things are there to do! Are varsity athletic events free? Can you access the athletic facilities?

5. The campus, duh. Walk around! You want to be able to take the whole campus in and digest it. Envision your self here and really get a feel.

What should I DO on my visit?

  • Sit in on a class that interests you. It may make you question your chosen major. Better now than midway through your last year of college. It's also important to see what a class is like there.
  • Talk with current students about what the school is like. They'll happily share what they know. Many tour guides won't be completely honest with you. For example, they won't tell you about parties and what students REALLY do.
  • Eat the cafeteria food, you need to be able to like that food enough to eat it for a year.
  • Interview with an admissions officer. Ask questions and see what the school is really looking for in terms of admissions. It also give you a good repetition if you go to them now.
  • Arrive early for tours, information sessions, interviews, and chats. It's just polite.
  • Lastly, don't be that kid that wears their varsity jacket on their visit. Just don't.

IMPORTANT

MAKE SURE YOU ASK QUESTIONS!!!!! AND TAKE NOTES ON YOUR VISIT

Academic questions: How much time do students typically spend on homework? How much writing and reading are expected? What is the average class size of introductory classes? How widely used are teaching assistants on your campus? What is the average class size of upper-division courses? What opportunities are there for undergraduate research? How many students participate in undergraduate research? Is there a culminating senior year experience? Do you have an honors college? Do you have a learning community or other freshman experience?

Financial questions : What is your average financial aid package? What is the typical breakdown of loans versus grants? What percentage of financial need does the school typically meet? What is the average merit award? What percentage of students receive college grants? What is the average college debt that students leave with? What work-study opportunities are there?

Student Life questions : What kind of dorm choices are there? What percentage of student live on campus? How long are dorm accommodations guaranteed? How many students live on campus? Do most students go home on the weekend? What percentage of the study body belongs to a sorority or fraternity? What activities are offered to students?What clubs do you have on campus?

After your visit...

  • follow up with the college!
  • keep all the information from your visit in a physical folder designated to college visits
  • reflect on your visit! keep all your photos from the visit and notes!

Credits:

Created with images by .curt. - "Ransom Hall, Kenyon College" • maura24 - "graduation graduation day college graduation" • uniliderpromocion - "college class students" • detsang - "Trinity College" • jimmyharris - "College at Oxford"

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